She was walking through the garden of rosebushes in the Ouran High garden so pretty she thought picking a large bright red rose. "Pretty" she turned around and saw Kyoya Ootori one of those annoying Host Club members leaning on the rosebush arch "what do you want?" she said coolly. He pushed his glasses up his face "no need for such hostility Reika" she narrowed her eyes "I have no interest in dealing with any of you Host Club boys. You're all flirts and nothing more" she turned and was walking away when he grabbed her wrist and turned her around to face him "is that all you see me as?" his normally passive eyes now intensely bored into hers "a flirt?"

Her heart pounded so loud she swore he could hear it "well that is how you portray yourself" she said "so how else do you expect me to view you?" his glasses flashed and his grip tightened "how about as a fellow student. You have never visited the Host Club so how can you possibly dismiss us as simply being flirts?" he said in his usual detached manner. Reika let out a derisive laugh "I haven't but that doesn't mean my friends haven't" she said "unfortunately. I've heard stories and what I know about the members? Tamaki is the biggest flirt of them all-he's full of himself, the twins are tolerable actually they remind me of me, Honey gets irritating at times and Mori…well I don't know. I've only talked to him once and that consisted of me saying "you dropped your wallet" with a response grunt from him."

"So that is really how you see us" Kyoya stated pressing her against another rosebush arch "intriguing observation in its own way but nevertheless misguided" The thorns bit into her slightly but she ignored it "like I said…that's how you portray yourselves" she said not looking at him. He used his free hand to lift her chin and make her meet his eyes "but you haven't taken the time to truly know us" he said quietly. Reika swore her heart was pounding so hard it was trying to fly "and how am I supposed to do that when all of you are usually surrounded by airheaded flirts?" she said just as quietly "what about now?" he said "there are no airheads or flirts…in fact there's no one but us" he said hinting heavily at his goal. Her eyes widened as she grasped what he meant "which could also be a bad thing" she said smoothly wondering why, Kyoya Ootori of all people was flirting with her.

"Did your father put you up to this?" she said darkly. Kyoya looked as though she slapped him "and what are you trying to insinuate?" Reika deftly slipped out from his arms "flirting with the daughter of your father's biggest rival? Sounds like something he would put you up to" she stepped closer "for generations our families have been rivals. Every time the Ootori Group gains an upper hand the Inuzuka Group is right there to surpass and vice versa" she turned to walk away.

Kyoya's eyes darkened "this has nothing to do with the rivalry between our families" he said grabbing her wrist and pushing her down into the thick, luscious grass and ending up on top of her "nothing" he repeated, forcefully kissing her on the lips. All the breath fled her lungs at that moment. She wanted to give in but suspicion niggled her she remembered her father telling her about the Ootori Group and how they'll stop at nothing to stay ahead of the Inuzuka Group.

He broke the kiss and glared down at her "I don't know what you might have heard" he whispered "but this has nothing to do with my family or yours and I am not so cruel as to break someone's heart so easily" Reika closed her eyes and thought back to their first meeting

"You look wonderful Masaru" she said straightening his tie "father is going to be so proud." Her brother flushed with happiness and nervousness "you think so?" he asked his sister running a hand through his thick red hair. Reika slapped his hand "don't do that" she said smoothing back his hair "now go in there and impress them!" Masaru nodded and pushed open the heavy double doors.

Reika sat down and waited for the meeting to end. An hour passed and she began getting antsy. She decided to go to the garden she had seen on the way in. She walked down the spiral staircase and went out the large glass doors. She found her way to the fountain and decided to sit and read. Minutes later she heard a voice "oh my apologies, I didn't realize there was anyone here" Reika looked up to catch sight of a tall dark-haired young man with glasses holding a book. Reika smiled slightly recognizing him as one of the Ootori boys, they all looked like their father but the only one with glasses…was the youngest: Kyoya. "It's quite alright. This garden is for everyone after all" she said returning to her book. She felt him watching her so she looked up "would you like to sit down?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

His glasses flashed and he nodded "very well" he sat down a few inches away from her. She returned to her book "is it interesting?" he asked. Reika nodded still focused on her book. Silence passed as the two focused on their reading. A spider crawled along the edge of the fountain causing Reika to shriek in terror and fall backwards trying to escape it. She landed in the fountain and hit her head on the ceramic center. Barely conscious, she was aware of strong, gentle hands pulling her out of the fountain "hold on" a voice said weaving in and out of her brain "I'll get help" she felt herself being carried and the last thing she remembered was his voice.

Another memory flashed through her head How irritating to transfer from Lobelia especially in the middle of the year now I must find somewhere to practice my cello she thought irritably walking down the hall "Music Room 3" the sign said "well it's a music room…might as well try…" she pushed open the door to be greeted by a flurry of rose petals "Welcome to the Ouran High School Host Club" came a group of voices. She was greeted by a group of guys. A young man with blond hair stepped out from the group "welcome my lady, I hope we haven't startled you. We do enjoy first-time customers" he smiled flashing overly-white teeth.

Reika stood in shock until her gaze landed on a familiar dark-haired, bored-looking young man in glasses. Oh great she thought to herself just what I needed: to run into HIM again. They locked eyes and surprise flashed across his face. "So we meet again" she said coolly before turning and walking away what a bunch of idiots! She thought walking down the hall. She heard footsteps behind her. She didn't bother turning around until a hand grabbed her wrist. She turned around in shock coming face to face with Kyoya "so we do" he said mysteriously before letting her go and walking away.

She flashed back to the present moment; lying on the soft, green grass with Kyoya Ootori. "I seem to recall you don't do anything unless it benefits you" she told him "this is true" he said "but this does benefit me because I have wanted to do this since we first encountered each other. We're graduating Ouran this year and never before now have I realized the magnitude of this situation" he said "Magnitude?" Reika asked confused "how so?" he stood up and walked to a rosebush "yes, the situation is serious indeed. We're going to graduate this year and I know that Tamaki and Haruhi have plans for their immediate future" he said trailing off. Reika's eyes widened "so it is true" she said still on the ground "they are getting married" Kyoya nodded "it would seem that way. It isn't anything new, we were fully aware they were going to marry"

Reika sat up "and how does that reflect on the magnitude of the situation?" she inquired. Kyoya hesitated "Tamaki was always telling me I needed to just go for it but I never knew how…" he said still not facing her "how what?" Reika was by now thoroughly confused. He sighed "how you would react" he turned towards her and picked her up pulling her close "but now, as we're approaching graduation, as we're going our separate ways I realize I need to act now before I lose my opportunity" he dropped to one knee and held out a rose he's got to be joking she thought in shock. "Reika Inuzuka" he began "ever since our chance encounter by the fountain I have been enamored with you…I just hope you feel the same way and would do me the honor of becoming my bride"

Reika froze in shock never in a million years had Reika Inuzuka ever thought she'd be proposed to and never in a trillion years had she thought it would be Kyoya Ootori. Reika was suspicious "it really has nothing to do with your father?" she asked hesitantly "I assume you wish to inherit the company by surpassing your brothers achievements" Kyoya's eyes darkened "I could buy the company from my father if I wished to…I did buy the company as a matter of fact, during our 2nd year but I returned all managing rights to him" Reika gasped she had heard a rumor but never believed it to be true "despite having strived to surpass my brothers achievements and secure a place in my father's eyes and hopefully as heir to the company my whole life, Tamaki made me realize there's more to life than focusing solely on outclassing my brothers"

Kyoya looked at her. She saw no deception in that gaze just honesty. "You really are telling the truth" she said in shock taking the flower from him "and you are right in assuming I felt the same way" he stood up pulling her closer "as much as I've tried to deny it, I really do love you" she said. He tilted her head up and kissed her again, this time she didn't try to fight him.